Kid of the Bat
by batman.wolverine
Summary: Where were you when it happened? That is a question many a person is asked during their lifetime…one that they’d rather forget. What happened to make them ask that to themselves. [Lamo’ summary. Might change] [BMWW, others]
1. Where were you when…

**KID OF THE BAT**

**Author:** BatmanWolverine

**Fandom(s): **DCAU (Justice League Unlimited)  
**Genre:** Romance, Drama, Humor  
**Pairing/Characters:** Same old, same old. Bats-Wondy, Super-Lois etc. etc.  
**Rating:** PG13 (for now)

**Summary:** Where were you when it happened? That is a question many a person is asked during their lifetime…one that they'd rather forget. What happened to make them ask that to themselves. (Lamo' summary. Might change)

**Series:** None  
**Spoilers:** No specific spoilers...as yet.  
**Author's Note: **Got this while writing the one-shot 'Done Deal'

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Batman, Wonder Woman or any other related character. All owned and copy righted by DC. There are no OCs in this story.

* * *

**01. Where were you when…**

Where were you when it happened? What were you doing when you first heard it? Were you asleep? Or maybe you were working?

Or maybe….

….well, where in your life were you when this news reached you?

None of those questions came up in the minds of any of the people involved, at least not at that time. For them (the questions) to come it would mean that they (the people) would have actually to be thinking, and that is a very difficult proposition with your heartbeat sounding in your head….and your heart choking your throat.

---

**The Best-friend,**

"_Kent!"_ Her worried exclamation sounded in his ears but without him actually hearing it. At that moment, a nuke could have gone up beside him and he wouldn't have sensed that.

"Kent. _Clark…_" She called again, her voice cracking at the sudden change in him. One second they were bantering among themselves, chomping down on fresh Chinese take-out while taking a break from a late night sitting to work out the details of the new section that Perry wanted to include in the weekend edition, and the next…. The next second not only did he not go still as a sculpture, his easy smile falling into a tight frown, tension lines forming on his normal pleasant face. That he dropped the chopsticks his hand slamming against his ears to block against the ultra-high frequency whine, only added to the…effect.

"Kent, you alright?" Perry was worried too. He knew that Clark had his…umm, _peculiarities_ but this was just too…

"Please excuse me," he shot up ramrod straight, tension clear in his squared shoulder. "I've got go. Something's just come up."

Not waiting for Perry's permission or to answer Lois's questions, he started out, nearly giving up his secret by the speed at which he moved towards the door, his hand already on his tie.

"Wait," she ran after him, her behavior carrying all the worry that she'd never admit…at least not yet, and most of all not to him. And worried she was, not only as a colleague, not only a friend but also as someone who, even though she wouldn't admit it, had grown to have more than friendly feelings towards this small-town boy. "Clark what happened? Is everything alright?" Okay, stupid question. "What is wrong?" That's better. "Do you need to go the hospital?"

Stopping for the barest of an instant, the look that he gave said it out aloud. 'I hope not.'

Seconds later, he was gone, and not her or anyone else in the room paid much attention to the boom that sounded in the distance, the vibrations shaking the windows. And more than that, they never thought it to be connected with _him_, just putting it up to Big-Blue putting forth a burst of speed.

---

**The Ear…the Counselor,**

Across the world,

"…and then the big ships…." He stopped mid-sentence, his mind elsewhere as he answered the call from the _heavens_.

'J'onn, there is an emergency,' the deep polished voice rang in his thoughts.

'I am here Michael,' as calm as ever he returned the hail, his human hands still caressing the back of the head of the youngster sitting in his lap, the one who was staring wide-eyed at his grandma's new friend. The child was enraptured by the story that the _old man_ had been telling him, the one about how the Justice League with all the other heroes of the world, fought and saved the earth from the _bad people_.

'Its on the founder frequency,' Mr. Terrific conveyed. 'Rerouting now.' And just like that, it was as if he was watching through his teammate's eyes, his own (currently) black orbs widening at the three letter code. 'MNM'

Macbeth. Nectarine. Morphine.

'Oh.' He recognized, his mental shields keeping the identity of the mystery sender from his _successor_. Ever since he had taken a break, electing to maintain an _extended_ reserve status even after his return during the battle against Darkseid, it was Mr. Terrific who had been handling the _'Missions'_ roster, all while doing the crossword puzzle…_with_ pen.

'Michael,' he withdrew to the periphery of the other man's conscious. 'Please arrange for a site to site teleport. Destination Gotham City. But give me a minute first.'

'Of course J'onn.' The conversation ended.

"I am sorry little one," he apologized to the boy, his heart fluttering at the sadness from the young child. " A friend needs my help."

"But our story?" The boy crooned, looking both up at him and at the older woman who had come to stand beside them. "Nana!"

She understood about the emergency also knowing that for the others to call him it must be a big one.

"How about I come back and complete it," he did not want to lie, especially not to someone so innocent, so pure. "And maybe I will have a new one too."

"A new one!" The child's eyes lit up again. "With the dragon?" He asked, recalling how _Xian_ and grandma had taken him to see the green and red dragon.

"Yes," he conceded. "With the dragon. I promise," he supplied even before the question came up.

"'m okay." With the promise of a new story and of the dragon, it took all but a second for the boy to leap off his lap, his little feet rushing off to the guest room to get his toys.

"J'onn," she stepped out with him, her eyes and thoughts already saying what her lips were going to murmur. "Be safe."

"I will." He promised, preparing himself for the teleportation. "You too."

'I love you.' The thought rang out simultaneously from both of them.

---

**The Fellow Soldiers,**

"Keep you eyes on the _target_!" The commanding tone brooked no argument. "And Plasticman, stop slacking off. And stop trying to grope Barda."

"Hey!" The man in question's protest rang out, just seconds before his _'target' _finally getting a confirmation on her suspicions, hefted her extensible staff and started after him.

Back on the observation deck,

"You shouldn't be so hard on them," the sultry voice carried more than a little amusement. "They are your teammates after all, not _wet behind the ear_ rookies."

"The way they are acting," he arched an eyebrow at her, "they might as well be."

His bright green eyes took in her perfectly toned body rising up to meet the knowing smile on her lips. She was beautiful and she knew it. After all, its not easy to become a world famous model. She also knew that he liked what he saw in her, both with and without clothes on. Specially without clothes on.

"What do you say we…" she started, stopping as the ring on his finger suddenly grew brighter, his eyes mirroring the effect. "John? What is it?" She asked, missing out how someone else to reacted at that very moment. That someone had been standing in the practice area below, her heavy mace loosely grasped in her slender hand, her wings, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire between Big Barda and her target, Eel O'Brien, Plasticman, close to her body

"I have to go," he shot up. "We might have to postpone our plans for the evening," apologized. "This might take some time."

"Why? What happened?" She stood up too, catching the opening and sliding shut of the doors below. "What's the emergency? Want help?"

"No!" His answer came a bit too quick. This was just among them. "It doesn't…I mean…"

"Is it a Lantern thing?" Mari inquired, knowing that that wasn't the case. If it had been a Lantern emergency he would have readily told her.

"No." This time around he schooled his answer. "It's a between us thing." How was he to explain to her that these protocols, placed after the Thanegarian invasion, were just among the seven founding members, as were the codes which signified who was who. And this code, it was one that he never hoped to get. Not that any of them looked forward to getting any, but one from _him_. Something must seriously be wrong.

"A between us thing?" Even as much she would deny, she couldn't help but feel the doubts.

"Yes, the core council." Oh. "That's why I cannot tell you…or take you."

'And that's why _she_ gets to go.'

----

**Her…just HER,**

"Hera!" Kneading at the tension knotting her shoulder, Diana, former and now once again, princess of Themiscyra huffed a very un-princess-like sigh and flopped down on the soft yet oddly firm mattress covering her bed.

Who would have guessed that bureaucratic duties would be so draining. Meeting people. Making nice with their orthodox and inherently suspicious personalities. Trying to convince them to work towards the greater good. Signing documents, reports, requisitions, even more documents, even more….

"What I wouldn't give for a good fight right now."

Startled and shocked at her inadvertent wish, she chided herself for being so…_barbaric_, especially when her mission was one of peace. What would her mother say if she came to know that the daughter she had entrusted with being the 'ambassador' of the Amazon nation, their champion of Peace and Trust, that she was acting like a common ruffian.

"Well," pushing herself up, she reached down to pull off her boots. "I'll make do with a relaxing bath."

Even as much her 'political' duties weighed on her, getting the embassy and her own royal suite in it was a plus…a definite plus, especially when compared to her previous residence, her quarters aboard the watchtower. Though not bad, they didn't compare to the opulence that had been set up here.

She was on her second boot when,

_**BEEP BEEP BEEP**_

"Uhn," her communicator rang. Did she miss a meeting? Or was there a mission? 'Oh, let there be a mission.' If nothing else, the exercise would allow her to loosen up a bit.

'Maybe I should try out one of those…' she trailed away, her heart skipping a beat at the message, at the three alphabets on the screen.

'Hera…_No!_'

Within seconds she was out, tearing through the night like a living shooting star. Her fists flat against her hips, she put out burst after burst of speed until….

_**BOOM!**_

It took her all of fifteen minutes to get to her destination, but even at her supersonic speed she missed out on noticing the red and blue streaking in from the other side. Even more than that was the blur flashing across on the ground, the blur that not only caught upto her but also left a trail of red lingering after it…all in such a short time that for all her the speed she might as well have been standig stock still.

----

**The Flashy-Youngster,**

"Come on Digger," The Scarlet Speedster scratched behind his ears, feeling more than a little bored. "Give it up already. I know you've run out of boomerangs. Now make it easy on yourself," he looked over his shoulder, grinning at his friends, the brave men and women of Keystone P.D. "And on all of us too."

No reply.

"Come on man. I don't have the whole night here. And besides, its not like all of…"

_**BEEP BEEP BEEP**_

"Oh, what is it now," lifting his hand to his ear, Wally flicked on the inbuilt communicator, the color draining from his face at the mechanical voice…at the message it conveyed.

'MNM now. MNM now. MNM now. MNM now. MNM now…..'

"Aw man," recalling the meaning of that code, one among many that the Dark Knight had made him learn by rote, the youngest of the big seven cursed at what this specific one meant.

A tenth of a second's warning and with several red flashes and a second later George _'Digger'_ Harkness found himself sitting on the hood of a white and blue police car, looking rather stupid with both his hands and feet tied up and a boomerang, his last one, sticking out from between his teeth. "Sorry man, not hard feelingggggsss….." the apology trailed off into the wind, the back draft pulling the captain off the hood and onto the hard asphalt.

"Oh man, oh man," already at mach three and still speeding up, the young man tried his best not to think about what awaited him once he reached Gotham.

---

"Alfred! What happened? Where is he?" Of all those who appeared at the front door of stately Wayne manor, only Diana, Wally and Shayera were in their costumes. Clark had changed back just before landing, J'onn shapeshifted while John just used his ring to change into his 'civilian' garb.

"Good evening Master Kent." Ever the gentleman, even in the time of emergency, Alfred Pennyworth, loyal butler to the Wayne family and surrogate father to Bruce Wayne and those who grew up in the manor, namely Richard Grayson and Tim Drake, greeted the Kryptonian, extending the same courtesy to the Princess, Miss Hol and Masters Stewart, Jones and West.

"The master...please come this way." Even though the others might have missed, Clark, and both Diana and J'onn caught the momentary hesitation, Clark because of he knew Bruce and his family the longest and Diana and J'onn because of the time they had spent here after the invasion.

It was as if death had draped its dark silence with the only thing breaking it being the crackling from the living room fireplace where, thanks to his X-Ray vision, Clark saw a teenager sleeping…still half dressed in his costume.

'Bruce…what happened to you?' He and the others followed Alfred up the stairs, right upto and into the room they knew very well. It was the master bedroom. It was the _master's_ bedroom.

Once inside, they tiptoed to the custom designed bed, stopping short at the sight that greeted them.

"Bruce…"

"Hera!"

"Huh!"

"What the…_What the hell!_"

"Sssh!" More than one person hissed at Flash's outburst, glaring daggers at him at not to cause any more noise.

The movement of the bed told them that it was too late, all of them holding their breath as fluttering behind their lids, the familiar deep blue eyes shot open to stare at them, the pin-drop silence ending a second later.

"Waah Wuh-_WAAAAHHHHH WAAAHHH!"_

Standing at the foot of the bed, the six collected leaguers dumbly stared at their teammate, the most dangerous man on the earth, who right now…

…had been turned into a bawling_ toddler_.

-

-

* * *

**Note:** Didn't see this one coming? I hope not, otherwise all of my build up was in vain. Anyways, hope you liked it….will try to update regularly. 

Am aiming to make it different from usual full-length fics. Someone just read my recent one-shot 'Done Deal' and told me that I should do a full 'light' fic, not like my usual 'heavy-depressing' stuff.

So here goes…do review and let me know how the start worked out!


	2. What the Hell?

**02. What the Hell?**

**Summary:** Things move forward, but not before a short trip back in time…well, not literally. And someone else shows up.  
-----------

"YES! Whooooooooo-Hooo! Yesyesyesyes-YES!"

"Is that Tim?" The rather surprised female voice questioned through the phone. "What's with him? Seems rather…chirpy."

Offering a small chuckle in return, Alfred Pennyworth, family butler of the Wayne family and de-facto mother goose to all the creatures of the manor and the cave below, both of the non-flying and flying variety. "Ah, yes Miss. Barbara. Master Timothy does seem in high spirits. I take he passed the test set by Master Bruce."

"Test? What sort of test?" As far as she knew there wasn't any Bat-check-up coming up. Then again, with Bruce who knew when such an occasion would arise? He was as random in his testing of both himself and his partners, as the Joker was in coming up his nefarious plans. Then again, it all did work on in the end…well, thankfully, not for the Joker.

"A rather impromptu one Miss, not to mention important…even more so than usual." Alfred returned. "With Master Dick called away on a Titans emergency, Bludhaven required patrolling and Master Tim volunteered do it."

"So?"

"By himself."

"Oh." Lounging on the other end, dressed to chill in her oversized Bat-_Chick_ T-shirt and a pair of denim shorts, chewing on one end of her reading glasses, the redheaded Barbara Gordon a.k.a. Batgirl's heart jumped a beat at the mere mention of his name. Dick. Moreover, coming along with the Titans, it worked as a one-two punch, literally socking the wind of her.

Just another fond reminder of what could have been as a cold slap of what the harsh reality was.

Barbara knew that just as Bruce was with the League so was Dick with the Titans. In fact, while both men were founding members of their respective teams, unlike Bruce's _permanently_ temporary status in the League, Dick was both a permanent member of the Titans as also their leader. There was nothing odd or surprising for him to go on a mission with them. In fact, starting as the Teen Titans, the now 'Adult' Titans had been a part of Dick's life since his days as Robin.

'Yeah, just another day at work,' Barbara groused to herself. 'Just another day at work…with _her_.'

It wasn't like they had been dating or anything. In fact, Barbara herself was seeing…had been seeing someone else, that is until that someone, namely one Jason _'I-wanna-be-a-detective'_ Bard, upped and left for the Police Academy. Maybe that's what had attracted her to him in the first place. However, even before they ended it, her..._relationship_ with Jason was just slightly above friendly. Unlike…

'Unlike what? Unlike with Dick?' There was no answer to that question. 'We were…_are_ just friends. Nothing more. Not now anyway.' She frowned.

Yet, Barbara couldn't lie to herself at the tug she felt on her heart at the merest thought of the erstwhile partner of the Batman and now guardian to Gotham's younger, uglier sister, the port city of Bludhaven.

'Its all her fault.' She had even tried being bitter and blaming the _other_ woman. She really truly had, only to realize that to do so just wasn't in her nature. Moreover, there was another rather big obstacle in pulling the whole spiteful-bitch routine. 'Why does she have to be so nice to everyone.' And that was it.

Of all the people she knew barring Superman…maybe, Kory Anders, Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran and Starfire of the Titans was easily the friendliest and most welcoming person that Barbara had ever met.

At first, she had thought that all the caring, politeness, warmth, naiveté, the slightly ditzy mannerisms; they all might be a front that the alien princess used to put people at ease or maybe a routine that was put forth specifically for her benefit. That maybe Dick had told Kory about their past

'Yeah Babs sure. What past? The one where he had a crush on you and you just like any sixteen-seventeen year old girl were mooning on the older man, the suave debonair Bruce Wayne and the dark brooding Batman. The past in which by the time you got enough sense to actually realize what…who you really wanted, it was already too late.'

As for Kory, less than an hour with her was enough for Barbara to realize that indeed she was all she appeared at first glance…All that and much more. Heck, the way she bent over backwards to accommodate another person's wishes so as not to hurt or even as far as possible inconvenience them, even the Man of Steel would not be able to reach those levels.

Still, if she had at least looked… 'Aaarrgh. Looked like anything but a super-_freakin'_-model.' For Barbara, if only Starfire hadn't been this good, this beautiful, this _everything_ nice, then there would be something she and Kara could have bitched…ahem, gossiped about.

'Kara. Hmph.' Now that was yet another point of contention. 'Why did she have to go and stay behind in that thirtie- "

"…patrol the city." So lost had she been in her thoughts that Barbara missed all of Alfred's explanation.

"Huh? What? You said something Alfred?" She apologized. "Sorry, zoned out for a bit there."

If he had reaction at or question about the sudden squeak in her voice, Alfred did not let on. What he did do was repeat himself…slowly. "As I said, Master Tim has been going through the tests to get the _'green signal'_ from Master Bruce."

"Green signal?" Barbara mused aloud, wondering what all had she missed out while thinking about Dick and his… 'Ugh. Not again. Stop it already.' She admonished herself. "Green signal for what Alfred?"

"For Master Tim to do an independent solitary patrol of the 'Haven."

"Bruce is allowing Tim to go solo? _In Bludhaven?_" Had the Bat finally flipped his cowl? Tim was a barely...

"By the sound of it-" Alfred cut in, stopping as a jubilant Tim ran past him towards the changing rooms, hooting the entire cave and its residents up. "-I think he just did."

"One second Alfred!" Tim yelled after him. "One _whole_ second. That's how much I beat Dick's first time solo record by. _Yes!_ The winner and newly crowned champion, Tim _'The Wonder Boy'_ Drake."

"Wonder Boy?" Barbara echoed in surprise. "Since when did he start using that?"

"It's a new one for me too Miss," Alfred's reply held an amused smile. "Last week it was 'Crime Detective', and earlier this week 'Robin of the Night', though both of them met an early demise."

"Oh. Why?" Not having much to do, on either end, the duo were relaxing with the friendly conversation. Well, at least Barbara was. As for Alfred, he was standing ramrod straight, the phone held properly at his right ear.

"For the first one," halting for a second to recall Tim's exact words, Alfred continued, "for the first one he said that it reminded him too much of a certain Mr. McGruff, the Crime Dog. As for the second and I quote, _'Robin plus night equals Night Robin, which will come down to Nightbird.'_ Since we already have one set of _'wings'_ flying into the Night, the young master once again set upon his search for a proper title."

'Nightwing.' The name brought back memories of when she had first heard it, when she had first seen him as Nightwing…after the other Titans had already seen it. After Kory had seen it…felt the light sensitive Nomex-Kevlar of the new costume. Felt it on him. Felt him.

Hmph.

"Alfred…" she needed to stop doing this and get out there. Neither Dick nor Bruce had asked her to patrol Bludhaven. What if she was supposedly on a break, they still could have asked her? It would have felt nice. Bruce she could understand. He would never ask anyone to do anything for him, and especially not if it meant for something that either of his sons had asked from him. But Dick? He could have. He _should_ have.

"Yes Miss."

"Tell…Tell Tim to swing by the house on his way to Bludhaven."

"Miss?"

"Tell him I'll be ready and waiting. Don't tell Bruce…or Dick anything about it. Not yet anyway."

A second of silence followed her barely concealed plea.

"Very well miss."

---

A few hours later,

'Oh man, please don't let have anything happened to him.' Feeling his heart jumping up to his throat, Tim pushed his Robin-cycle even faster; his sudden burst of speed causing the Batgirl costume clad Barbara to speed up too to stay along side him.

Cutting through the sparse late night traffic the appropriately colored black and red custom motorcycles tore towards their destination, the last transmitted location of their mentor. As per the signal, he wasn't moving...in fact he hadn't moved for quite some time…For the better part of almost two hours.

They had been near the Bludhaven docks when the call came in, the even toned but, to them, clearly worried informing them about the situation.

That had been twenty-seven minutes ago.

For the Batman to remain in one place or even one pose for long durations of time, it was nothing out of the ordinary. What was odd that unless there had been a last minute change, tonight's patrol wasn't supposed to have any such stakeouts. What was even more surprising was that just before he went offline, Bruce had been talking to Alfred…thinking about returning to the cave. He wanted to run some stress simulations on the design of the next iteration of the Batwing. He was trying to make it to go just that bit faster…half a 'mach' faster. That would once again put the Batwing ahead of the fastest Javelins of the League. Give it back its edge...not to mention allow its owner to fluff up his Bat-chest and _fly_ fast and proud.

"This is all _my_ fault," Barbara caught mumbled self-blame through the two way communication link-up.

"Hey! Blunder Boy," she deliberately yelled out aloud, almost as if was trying to get him to hear without the helmet transmitters. "Stop doing that."

"What!" Though unseen, the scowl was clear to her.

"Stop this 'all my fault' pity party routine. I get more than my limit of this type of whining from Bruce and Dick. I don't want you sending even more my way. So, shut up, button up and get to work."

The awkward silence that followed her outburst almost made Barbara think that maybe she had gone over the line. Tim wasn't like Dick or for that matter Bruce. He was an independent entity…one growing to be his man. Maybe she had…

"Wait till I tell Bruce that you said that he whines…" the still tense but thankfully controlled voice quipped at her. "…and Dick too. You are so gonna get it."

"Yeah yeah whatever." The momentary panic passed, Barbara lightened up too. "We'll see who is gonna get it. Wait till I tell them about how you left those two goons hanging…half submerged in water."

"Hey! Its not like you stopped me or something." Truth be told even though she was teasing him about it, Barbara herself have enjoyed the look on those men's faces when Tim told them that in high-tide sharks roamed those water. She would bet anyone that as soon as they got out of the lockup, they were going to get the next ticket back to where they came from…Star City. Heh, they might even decide to foot it out, anything to get away from Bludhaven, and its _Killer Tiger-Squid Sharks._

"Sure thing Wonder Boy?" She teased back, both of them internally thankful of the other's presence. With all but a few miles left until they reached Batman's location. "You know if you are going to use that name you might have to change your costume…and partner."

"Huh?"

"Yup," this was sure to get his goat. "If you plan on going by Wonder Boy, you'll have to trade in your red-yellow-and-blacks for a red-blue-golden ensemble…and maybe even wear a corset." Gotcha kid.

"Huh? Corset? What's a corset?"

When playing a joke on someone, it helps that if that someone is able to get that joke. This is one of the few cardinal rules of joke telling and playing. Behind her full-face black Bat-helmet, Barbara Gordon harrumphed at just having the air let out her joke's proverbial tires.

"Never mind pipsqueak. Just drive."

---

A few minutes later,

"Can you see him?" Pulling up a hair's breath after the older, more experienced Batgirl, Robin pressed the button that caused his grapple rope to pull back and coil inside the gun.

"Nope." Forget Batman, there wasn't even a real bat, or any other creature for that matter, on the roof of tallest building in Gotham, the headquarters of Wayne Enterprises.

Or so they thought.

"Umm-Uhnnn…"

"What's that?" Robin whirled around at the sound.

"What? What's what?" Batgirl hissed. A batarang already in her hand, she instinctively reached for her utility belt, for her personal 'Batgirl-ized' accessory, her Can-o'-Mace. Whoever it was, first she'd hit him, or seeing as it was Gotham, hit _her_, then mace them and for a coup de grace execute a right hook followed by a solid kick at the back of the knees…or in a man's case, to the groin. Forget the Joker, Riddler, Scarecrow or any one of those punters; that maneuver of hers would even take even Bane down….well, maybe not him, but all the others for sure.

"Uhnn…"

"That." Tim gestured towards a rather dark corner. "Don't you hear…"

"It's a baby," Barbara sprinted towards the direction of the mewling.

'A baby?' Tim rushed after her. 'What would a baby be doing here…and that too at this time of the…'

His thoughts trailed off as nearing Batgirl he saw her straighten up and turn around towards him. Sure enough, as clear as the moon in the night sky, nestled within her arms was a barely six-month-old baby.

As for the sex of the child, its state of dress or rather undress, clearly gave away what sex _he_ was.

"Ooh, he's soooo cute?" Barbara crooned, pushing up her cowl a little bit so that her masked appearance wouldn't scare him. "Ooh, yes you are...yes you…" she tickled under his chin, only to have the baby sneeze and wrestle away from her gloved fingers.

"Hey, stop doing…" Tim admonished her, trailing off midway as he looked around for any clue as to who left this baby here. "Huh!" He moved towards a very familiar looking cape lying on the ground.

Following his gaze, Barbara also caught sight of the cape. "Looks like Batman left him here." Even as she spoke the words, Barbara sensed something not quite right. She knew that no matter how hard and cold he might act and sometimes even be, Bruce would never leave a child this way, unguarded and open to the elements…or worse. If nothing else, he would get it either to the Police or at least to Leslie.

"Yuppp…Uh.' Tim gulped. Still bent over he looked over his shoulder, first at infant then at Barbara and then back at the infant.

A full head of jet-black hair, that strong squared chin that only a Wayne could have, tell tale blue eyes and that inborn piercing stare…

"Oh spit," the realization hitting him like a fully loaded tractor-trailer, Robin feel onto the hard cold concrete, staring dumbly at…at...

"Robin! What happened?" Barbara pulled the baby closer, instinctively closing in on herself in fear of his safety.

"Tha-That Th…" the teenager gulped his eyes once again doing the whole _baby-Batgirl-baby-ground-baby_ routine. "That baby…"

"What about the baby?" Barbara queried. Lifting the infant up to get a better look, she was just checking for any injuries when Tim dropped the bomb on her…the revelation almost making her drop the baby herself.

Drop Baby _Bruce_.

"That's Batman." Tim exclaimed, his voice coming out in a choked squeak. "That's Bruce." He clarified softly.

"Wha-Oh…" Barbara stared at the tights, tunic and utility belt that Tim held up in his hands. "Oh God!"

"We are so…"

---

"And that's how we found him and brought him back to the manor," back in the present, Tim finished telling Superman, Wonder Woman and the other present Leaguers what all he knew about the rather peculiar condition of his mentor. "Babs…I mean Batgirl, she had to go back home, and with Nightwing away with the Titans, well, the rest is all Alfred's doing…" he looked gratefully at the aging Alfred, who even despite cradling the _young_ Master still managed to look both caring and sternly-proper, both at the same time.

"So you don't know who…" Glancing at the infant that until a few hours ago had been the dreaded Dark Knight, he hesitated while collecting the right words. "…who did this to Bruce?"

"No Sir," the teenager shook his head, not even noticing the 'sir' slip into his response.

"So…hmm," Wally _trotted_ up to Alfred and looked over his shoulder, feeling rather stupid at the nervousness rising within him, that _special_ one that he attributed solely to his proximity to Batman. "What do we call him now?" he grinned at the confused look from his teammates. "Well, we can't call him Batman. Maybe Bat-Bab-"

"WAAHHHH-UuaANNHH," he didn't even get to finish his sentence, his words drowning as the cries of Baby Bruce reverberated through the room.

"What?" Shocked silly at the child's outburst, Wally himself looked ready to burst into tears. "What'd I do? I _swear_ I didn't…"

"Ahem," Drawing baby Bruce closer, Alfred amicably but clearly put some definitive distance between him, his charge and the 'pushing the panic button' Wally. "Master West…your mask if you will."

"What? Oh, this?" A swift swipe and the mask was off. "Sorry. Guess he got scared, huh? Sorry. Wait a minute…" a grin lit up his face. "He's scared? He's scared of _me_. Hey guys, guess what. I just scared the Batman…_the_ Batman is scared of me. Huh, huh!"

"Sure thing jiminy," _-WHACK-_ Green Lantern, John Stewart put in his two cents, along with a green-handed smack to the back of the head of his younger teammate. "Stop scarin' the kid."

"Hey!" Wally exclaimed, only to cover once again as renewed cried sounded from the baby.

"_Wally!"_ Clark's voice and tone carried all the effect of a father warning to a rather frisky child.

"Uh-sorry big guy," and just like a child reacting to his old man's warning, Wally West, the Flash, the Fastest Man Alive, quickly apologized and quietly occupied the empty space next to Tim.

"J'onn?" Superman turned to his Martian teammate, hoping to get some telepathic insight into what had occurred with Bruce.

As for Diana, all through Robin's recounting of the last few hours and then Wally's antics her eyes had been intently gazing in rapt wonder at Bruce. Even though she knew that she should be worried about his condition, and worried she was…yet there was something within her, a kind of insider knowledge, which told her that everything would work out in the end.

'After all, it is the Batman,' she mused, smiling as little chubby hands reached up to grab the adult fingers that were fixing the his blanket.

Getting up, she excused herself from her conversing teammates and hesitantly headed towards the duo in the opposite corner, stopping short as a pair of bright blue eyes turned towards her and instead of leaving, stuck on her…almost as if trying to draw up an old lost memory, one that would bring some recognition about who she was.

For a second, at least to Diana, it looked as if the infant would burst out into tears again. Instead, her flashed her a soft smile, closed his eyes and a couple of seconds later was off sound asleep.

"He's looks so peacef-" Diana started to whisper to Alfred, and as with Flash her voice too got drowned by another one, one that not only woke Bruce up but also caused the others to react quickly, each one of them preparing to face the intruder….all except J'onn. Grasping his head he doubled over, just missing hitting the ground as Clark reachd down and grabbed him.

_**BHWOOSSHHH**_

"_Finally."_ A high pitched voice sounded from within the fast dissipating smoke. "I was getting bored waiting for so long. So? Who got…oh hey! It's the green one. Nice."

Even as she turned towards the intruder, Diana face contorted into an angrry scowl, her hands balling into _white-knuckle_ fists. 'What is _she_ doing here?'

"_Circe!"_

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**Note:** Yeah yeah, I know this is supposed to be my 'light' fic, but there's gotta be some drama. Suffice to say that it won't get more angsty than this…at least not until the end. Even then…nah, this level is just fine.

Please Review!


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